How to prepare for medical travel: what to do once you’re there

In this article we will go over the different things you need to think once you have reached your destination and are getting ready to get your surgery and/or treatment going.

Once you’ve reached your destination, there are some things you can do to make your experience better.

Jet lag: if you’ve travelled a significant distance on an east-west axis, it’s likely that you are feeling the effects of jet lag. Jet lag essentially means that your body still thinks that you are in a different time zone. Which is why you can suddenly wake up at three in the morning, feeling completely awake and restless. And once three in the afternoon hits, you’re feeling tired and wish to go back to bed. There is no universal recipe to solve jet lag. Most doctors advise you to get a lot of sunlight and fresh air. In any case, it’s important to remember that sleep is essential to your well-being and to having a successful treatment. So, make sure you take sufficient time to acclimate to the time zone you’re going and to get the rest you need.

 Get your bearings: if at all possible, it’s useful to understand how you will be getting to your hospital from your hotel and back. And what resources are available around your hospital. See what pharmacies, restaurants, taxi services might be available and the general layout of where you’re going. Google maps is usually of great help and measuring commute times is a good way of planning ahead. Remember to take enough time to get from one place to another and allow for some adaptation time. If the GPS map says you will be somewhere in 10 minutes, it may be safe to assume that it will take you 15 additional minutes to get somewhere you don’t yet know.

 You’re not in Indiana Jones mode: once you have arrived, you may be tempted to go do some tourism and experience new things. There’s nothing like experiencing new cultures to have your spirit grow. However, you should consider why you’ve traveled in the first place. Going on long city tours or adventurous experiences may be taxing on your body. It might not be the best of times to try new food and new flavors that could have unintended consequences on your body. Try sticking to relaxing activities and maintaining a diet close to what your doctors have recommended for the surgery prep.

 Contact your hospital: make sure to let your contacts at the hospital that will be doing your treatment know that you have arrived. They’ll want to know you’re ok and that it is confirmed that you will show up to your scheduled appointments. They may even need you to start some preparatory treatments, so it’s a good idea to contact them as soon as you possibly can once you’ve arrived.

 Your hotel: when you arrive, make sure that the room you have has all the access capabilities you’re likely to need. Talk to the hotel concierge and schedule the type of meals that you’re likely to need once you’ve had your surgery. Needless to say, avoiding alcohol and maintaining a healthy diet during your recovery is key to contributing to your speedy recovery. Make sure that the hotel can accommodate a reservation extension in case you need to stay some more days. It’s preferable to have this sorted out in advance and not deal with this eventuality under pressure.

 Follow your doctor’s instructions: this one may be a little obvious. But we felt it was worth it mentioning nonetheless. Being in a different country with a more relaxed setting, it can be easy to dismiss some of the advices and instructions from your medical team. You may feel better than you expected you would (it’s good!), but you should always keep in mind the medical aspect of your trip. Don’t overextend or overexert yourself.

 Paperwork. Always (more) paperwork: Once you’ve gotten to the hospital and that you are in the process of being discharged, one key part of the treatment is to make sure everything you have had done to you gets documented in your charts and patient history. Once you go back home, it will be very important for your doctors and medical team to be able to know and understand what was done to you, by whom and what their medical observations were. All the medication that got administered and prescribed to you should be properly documented and written down. Once you’re out of the hospital, make sure that you get a copy of your charts, imagery and patient history for your records. Once you’re out, getting the information might be more difficult and people will tend to forget to send it over. If possible, have the doctor that performed the surgery communicated directly with your doctor back home so that they agree on the continuity of the treatment and prescriptions you are likely to receive. Bear in mind that not all the medication that you are prescribed will be legal to transport or even available for prescription to you once you arrive home.